Rococo Art and Architecture: Stylistic Traits of Rococo

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Subject Date Rococo Art and Architecture Introduction Rococo, style in sculpture, architecture, painting, decorative arts, and interior design originated in Paris at the beginning of the 18th century. It was adopted in other parts of France as well as other countries mainly Austria and Germany. The style is characterized by exuberant, elegance, and lightness use of curving natural practices in the field of ornamentation. The term Rococo is derived from rocaille, a French name that denotes the shell-shielded rock art that was used in decorating non-natural grottoes. Rococo style was primarily used in ceramics, silver, and furniture, instead of architecture. Research has shown that the style was fashionable between 1730 and 1770. This paper aims at examining the main stylistic traits of French Rococo art and architecture. Stylistic Traits of Rococo The Rococo style, exotic but somehow formal, brought a change in artistic fashion in general. Besides, the designs gave way to lighter components with extra curvatures as well as natural decorations. The playfulness and delicacy of Rococo designs are seen as a perfect tune with the excesses of the reign of Louis XV. The 1730s marked the climax of the Rococo style in France. It had spread beyond furniture and architecture to sculpture and painting, demonstrated by the arts of Francois Boucher and Antoine Watteau. The style maintained the taste of Baroque for intricate patterns and complex forms. However, at this point, it had s...